1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to cooking apparatus having drip segregating, receiving or directing with a subjacent receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Throughout the ages, mankind has always required food for sustenance. As may be appreciated then, nearly every person who has walked the earth has had the need for food, and the desire to prepare the food in a safe and yet satisfying way. As may also then be expected, an enormous number of recipes and cooking techniques have evolved. The art of food preparation has progressed from meeting basic needs to an art that can both meet the basic need of sustenance and which can provide great pleasure to the senses. There has been a development of many different cuisines and many different food preparation techniques. Along with many different cuisines and techniques, there has been an equally substantial evolution in the cooking appliances and cookware that are used for the preparation.
During the cooking of many foods, various liquids may typically be released. Usually, the liquid will be a complex mixture of water, grease and other compounds. In addition, various liquids may also be added, such as oils, wine, gravies and many other compositions. As the liquid is released from the cooking food, it may also pick up seasonings or other ingredients that may be present.
The presence or absence of liquid within the cooking vessel will change the way the food cooks, and will also alter the resulting flavors and smells, depending upon a variety of factors, including the cooking temperature, cooking duration, the existence of seasonings or other additives, and so forth. Consequently, a chef will ordinarily want to exert much control over the contents of the cooking vessel, and may wish to vary the amounts of liquid contained therein, even during the cooking of a single food or dish. Once the cooking process is complete, and again depending upon the food or dish prepared, there may also be waste liquid that is generated which will not be served with the food. One common example is the grease-laden residue from the preparation of bacon. This grease is considered to be relatively unhealthy, and it may also carry relatively large quantities of salt and other compounds used to cure the bacon. In many kitchens then, this bacon grease is simply disposed of.
Many persons will dispose of the waste liquids by filling an empty container, such as an empty jar, can, juice concentrate container, or other convenient container. Unfortunately, these containers are almost always of relatively small diameter, meaning the cook must very carefully align the cookware with the small opening of the grease receptacle. Further, the grease will often flow along the edge of the pan, leading to an unpredictable and large area over which the grease will run. This means that more often than not, the cook will only get some portion of the waste cooking liquid into the container, and will spill the rest. In addition, when the liquid is being dispensed when hot, this can cause harm to cooking surfaces and floors, and potentially even to the cook. Any liquid that runs along the outer edge of the pan will need to be removed carefully if the cook is still preparing the dish, since the cookware will be immediately returned to the burner or heat source. Also, owing to the common small diameter and relatively greater height of most of these containers, they are easy to knock over and spill. This is particularly likely to happen when the cooking liquids do run along the outer surface of the cookware, because the natural instinct is to quickly lower the cookware onto the container. The cook may then accidentally knock the container over with the cookware.
A large number of devastating fires originate from accidental spills of oil and grease during food preparation. In addition, many persons are temporarily inconvenienced and, in some instances, seriously harmed while handling cooking fluids and grease.
Recognizing the hazards associated with this old and common way of disposing of waste cooking liquids, various artisans have proposed solutions. One way this problem is diminished is to provide cookware with specially designed pour spouts or surface drains that decrease the likelihood of spills or liquids running along the cookware exterior. Exemplary patents, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 1,447,813 by Patrick, entitled “Frying pan”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,157,303 by Penrose et al, entitled “Draining frying pan”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,333 by Wilson, entitled “Grease pan for grills”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,507 by Bardeau, entitled “Cooking Appliance”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,377 by Lotter et al, entitled “Tiltable Cooking Pan”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,068 by Beer et al, entitled “Fatless Frying Pan”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,378 by Dunkelman, entitled “Tilting frypan with drain system”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,324 by Noh, entitled “Frying pan with a removable grease catcher”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,024 by DeMars, entitled “Juice removal frying pan”; and Des 628,851 by Bergne, entitled “Frying pan”. While this cookware is a definite improvement over the prior art cookware, the grease receptacles remain a serious issue.
Other artisans have proposed cookware that is open to a drain conduit or other type of bottom drain, that feeds a receptacle. Exemplary patents, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,886 by Bales, entitled “Grease collection system for range”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,791 by Baughey, entitled “Microwave frying system”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,747 by Kuechler, entitled “Broiler for meat products and the like”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,059,318 by Cornfield, entitled “Multi-purpose stovetop grilling and cooking device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,523,697 by Hedrington, entitled “Tiltable cooking appliance”. These types of cookware work very well for the preparation of particular foods using particular techniques, often for foods such as french toast and bacon. However, since the cookware is continuously drained, the chef has no ability to control the liquid level, and instead is limited to relatively dry food preparation of only particular foods.
In a variation of the continuous draining cookware, some artisans have recognized the desirability of allowing the chef control over the timing of the draining of the liquid. One group of these include simple pans or cookware with drain valves. Exemplary patents and published applications, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,419 by Hillebrand et al, entitled “Combination cooking unit”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,696 by Everhart, entitled “Grease free skillet”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,421,942 by Hansen et al, entitled “Grease collection system for oven”; and WO 2005107543 A2 by Crawford et al, entitled “Cooker with latching drip tray for selectively opening and closing grease dispensing apertures in cooking pan”.
In a particular variant or extension of this concept, other artisans have proposed the use of tubes coming from a cooking receptacle to guide and funnel the cooking liquid and thereby facilitate the safe and selective draining therefrom. Exemplary patents and published applications, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,555 by Chang, entitled “Griddle structure”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,641 by De'Longhi, entitled “Apparatus for frying food products”; and 2009/0277338 by Palmer, entitled “Cooking pan apparatus and system with integral cooking liquid drain, and method of use”.
Other artisans have proposed various improvements to the grease receptacle, providing vastly more safe and effective receptacles. Exemplary patents, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,168 by White, entitled “Cooking oil storage and filtering system”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,710 by Boone, entitled “Grease collection system”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,419 by Reeves, entitled “Used cooking oil processing apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,210 by Franco, entitled “Grease receiving and holding system”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,731,846 by Jones, entitled “Grease collection system”; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,150 by Bunch et al, entitled “Used cooking grease disposal and storage device”. With the notable exception of the Boone patent, these receptacles do not alleviate the deficiencies of pouring the liquid from the cookware, including the running of liquid along the cookware exterior surface. While Boone solves this, the Boone apparatus is undesirably limited to a single type and construction of cookware.
Other patents and published applications that show various liquid draining and handling systems, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,560 by Holmes, entitled “Deep Fat Fryer”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,574 by Whaley et al, entitled “Method for filtering frying oil”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,173 by Moore et al, entitled “Filter system for frying apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,006 by Moore et al, entitled “Spray cleaning system for frying apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,649 by Grob et al, entitled “Deep fat frying apparatus having an improved cooking fluid filtration system”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,501 by Grob et al, entitled “Deep fat frying apparatus with improved under-fryer cooking liquid pumping and filtration system”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,047 by Margolis, entitled “Method to produce a cooked, low fat ground meat product”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,236 by Margolis, entitled “Fat removal draining system and method”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,777 by Davis et al, entitled “Deep fat frying apparatus with automated oil management”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,012 by Margolis, entitled “Method for producing a low fat meat product”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,182 by Margolis et al, entitled “Method for producing a low fat meat product”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,310 by Margolis et al, entitled “Method to produce a cooked low fat ground meat product”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,269 by Casey et al, entitled “Method for manipulating cooking medium during cooking operations”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,794 by Casey et al, entitled “Cooking medium management system”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,372 by Chikazawa et al, entitled “Valve opening/closing device of a fryer”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,648 by Bertram et al, entitled “Adsorbent filtration system for treating used cooking oil or fat in frying operations”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,420 by Savage et al, entitled “Filter system for a deep fat fryer”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,038 by Savage et al, entitled “Filter system for a deep fat fryer”; Re 36,173 by Margolis, entitled “Method to produce a cooked, low fat ground meat product”; and 2010/0175408 A1 by Korda, entitled “Leak free semi-stackable drain pan”.
Other patents for which the teachings and contents are incorporated herein by reference include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,779 by Zimmerman, entitled “Pan tilting apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,142 by Mercer, entitled “System and method for determining drain pan fluid level”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,110 by Lin, entitled “Frying pan”. In addition to the foregoing patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.